Indy Inspired Suspension - Indy-Pendent Suspension

The fact that the original suspension design under early Ford vehicles through the late '40s was based on horse and buggy technology should be all one needs to hear to convince them that it's worth a second look when it comes to setting up their hot rod's suspension. Yet as antiquated a design as it is, for most intents and purposes, the transverse spring and wishbone design performs quite well if the end result is one of more aesthetics than performance. Those who yearn for a better performing suspension design don't have many choices if the straight axle and radius rod setup is to be retained. The aesthetic drawback of coilover shocks or an IFS setup compared to the performance upgrade accomplished by such is oftentimes not worth the trade. Bottom line: If the car is to be built in a traditional manner, there are few options when it comes to suspension designs that won't deviate from the hot rods of yore.

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Yet there is one setup that cannot only incorporate the original transverse axle/radius rod design, but can maintain the aesthetics of the early period hot rods and perform better than that old transverse spring torsion bar suspension. It's been a staple in various racing circuits for decades and has been used in production vehicles going back to the '30s. The ease of adjustability and simplicity of design makes it ideal for vehicles where space is limited and suspension adjustments necessary and the ability to change out many of the variables to dial in the performance and handling characteristics of the suspension system has proven itself to be a favorite among race teams and car builders alike.

One such shop that has had plenty of experience in setting up traditional torsion bar-sprung hot rod chassis' in the past is Moal Coachbuilders. From Paul and Eric Hansen's AMBR-winning "Sedeuced" to George Poteet's "Roadchamp" five-window, the crew at Moal's has refined the art of torsion bar-sprung chassis with the help of the torsion bar guru himself, Gary Schroeder of Schroeder Racing Products. Together, they've designed a chassis that combines all the components we typically refer to as traditional for the '32 Ford (Deuce 'rails, straight axle, radius rods) with the benefits of a torsion bar setup. Available as a roller, their '32 T-Bar chassis features improved ride, handling, and tuneability commonly referred with a torsion bar chassis. Featuring fully boxed 'rails with the stock reveal, the chassis is pinched 1 1/2 inches up front with a C-notch at both ends for improved suspension clearance. Transverse-mounted torsion bars at both ends mate to custom Billet 4130 chromoly arms that are fully adjustable via stop bolts. A dropped I-beam axle mates to hairpin radius rods with a Panhard bar controlling lateral movement up front while a 9-inch rearend swings off of a triangulated four-link. Wilwood disc brakes reside at all four corners actuated via the brake pedal arm that is mounted from the 1 1/2-inch tubular center crossmember. Engine and transmission mounts are also included for a number of combinations.

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We dissected the Moal '32 T-Bar chassis recently in the studio and thought we'd point out some of the unique features that make a true torsion bar chassis different than your old run-of-the-mill transverse spring design. Take a look.